He said: "We know from witnesses who were nearby, and from house-to-house inquiries, that he had exited his motor vehicle and walked towards his home address.

"It's a basement apartment and he was making his way down the stairs and someone has attended at the top of the stairs and shot him.

"His partner and young child were in the house at the time this happened. So if they had been exiting the house, they could have been caught up in that and subjected to seeing their father and their partner die on the front steps."

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Forensics officers have been searching for evidence at the scene

Det Supt Burton added: "Any member of the community could have been walking by and been targeted by this individual.

"It's a real threat that someone is running about with a gun on the streets of Edinburgh."

One resident said he was told someone had been shot in the head and people were instructed to stay indoors as the street was cordoned off.

Armed officers were sent to the scene after receiving "multiple reports" of a firearm discharge.

In Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men on Bravo in 2008, Bradley Welsh described himself as a "born leader".

He discussed his past as a Hibs Casual football hooligan in the 1980s.

Mr Welsh talked about how he "mobbed and robbed" and was involved with organised "smash and grabs" at stores, including Jenners in Edinburgh.

He later spent four years in prison for extorting money from estate agents.

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Mr Welsh worked with young people at his boxing gym

In recent years, the boxer became involved in charity projects in Edinburgh, including helping young people to stay away from a life of crime through his boxing gym.

Detectives said they had no reason to believe Mr Welsh's shooting was a random attack and insisted the streets of Edinburgh remained safe for local residents and workers.

Image copyrightPA

Det Supt Burton said: "It's unusual for there to be a shooting in Edinburgh.

"I believe this has been a single incident at this location - a targeted attack on Mr Welsh - and what we need to find out is who set it up and why."

Ch Insp David Robertson, local area commander for Edinburgh city centre, added: "We recognise and understand the profound impact this incident will have had, both on those connected to the victim and to the local community of the west end.

"There will naturally be a high officer presence in the area over the forthcoming days both to offer reassurance and gather any relevant information that may be of use to the inquiry."